After Loving Anne (w/jiguma, SISTERS, Komrade K and Scott Carmichael)

This is a song that popped up for me years ago after a stretch of time during which I still considered myself a songwriter but was aware that I hadn’t written any songs in forever. It more or less popped up under the fingers and into the head and there it was…

It was written with my good friend John in mind, who had gone through a very sudden and very painful breakup at more or less the same time I went through a sudden and painful breakup myself. Watching John go through it may have been a way to watch myself go through it, if that makes sense. This is, in any case, another simple song, the distilled essence of which is, “This really hurts.”

As to recording it, this has been both an inspiring and a challenging bit of work. My first co-conspirator was again Neil Porter, who did a very nice job on bass here, I think. I originally wrote that Neil also contributed a drum track, but that was the NEXT song where Neil made a drum track that wasn't used. Still, my point remains valid: I’m grateful for how much work Neil has put into my songs this year and his willingness to see his work subordinated to what the song needs. A musician’s musician, a songwriter’s songwriter, and a gentleman’s gentleman, although that seems to mean ‘butler’ in some parts of the world….

Anne Cozean did a really wonderful job decoding my non-specific ramblings and requests and turning them into two harmony tracks. Anne’s singing and all around musical thinking really took this beyond anything I could imagine or articulate. I think I was at my smartest when I said, in essence, “I trust you… do something cool with it….”

Martyn Kember-Smith gave me some really nice lyrical fiddle playing, which is featured here in the first break and the outro….

Scott Carmichael then contributed two tracks of mandolin, one of which comprises the second break, and the other of which runs throughout the song….

In addition to their specific contributions, each collaborator also contributed thoughts on how the song might go and how it was turning out, for which I was grateful, especially in moments of lost confidence. I’m also grateful to Fran (Ziti) and Dion (Macaudion) for support and consultation. Thanks, and thanks, and thanks again, all of you….

D Bm
after loving Anne things have been a little hard
G D A
things can get a little hard when they’re tearing you apart
D Bm
after loving Anne things are shades of black and grey
G D A
things are shades of black and gray and you take it day by day
G A
after loving Anne you’re not the same
G A
after loving Anne your whole damn world is changed

D Bm
after loving Anne things have been a little dry
G D A
things can get a little dry when you’ve cried all you can cry
D Bm
after loving Anne things are different than they were
G D A
there’s less of you to live and there’s more of you to hurt
G A
after loving Anne you’re not the same
G A
after loving Anne your life is rearranged

[Break: one time around]

D Bm
after loving Anne things have been a little slow
G D A
things can get a little slow when you don’t know where to go
D Bm
after loving Anne you forget where you should go
G D A
you forget a lot of things that you used to really know
G A
after loving Anne it’s not the same
G A
after loving Anne you’re in a world of pain

After Loving Anne
thank goodness you got this posted - what a WONDERFUL collaboration of awesome MJ talents. beautifully put together Ed, just love the fiddle and mandolin additions, that really add so much texture to this already beautiful song. thanks!

Thank you, Karen....
I was panicked there for a minute, trying to get it posted....

This was a neat collection of people to work with, and I'm very happy about how all the pieces came together.... Getting everything to interlock was a bit of a challenge, and probably doesn't play to my strengths, but I'm really enjoying how this all turned out.... I agree about the fiddle and mandolin...

I love the mix... nice job
the tenderness comes through in the musicianship and vocals... the violin solo is just killer... I actually would have stepped on the second part of the mandolin solo with more violin... sort of a launching

You were one of the ones....
....whose opinion on the mix I was biting my nails over...

I'm glad you picked up on the tenderness, Scott.... It brings me back to where the song came from, after a week of adding and subtracting decibels... I'm pleased you liked Martyn's solo.... Originally I tried for three intertwined solos, with the best bits of everyone's parts, but I just don't have that level of editing skill.... Still, at least in headphones, there's some suggestion of interplay as it all goes along...

Impressive!
Reading your description as I listen, I am blown away by both the beauty of the song, its fully professional production, and the fact that this represents not just a great collaboration, but how fortunate we all are to have such fine and generous musicians around in this community.

This makes me sound like an old hippy, but I gotta say it: It's beautiful, man! Thanks to all for making such wonderful music, and sharing it with us.

alright!
ed - i grew old with you here waiting for this to actually BE. 8)
i really DO appreciate your careful treatment and consideration of all possibilities and ultimate OH WHAT THE HELL letting go of it. you sing from the heart, don't do dog and pony vocal shows, and that's what i enjoy supporting. and for the record, we ended up doing EXACTLY what YOU wanted. remember - you BOSSED me, as per MY request. :O

i love finding out here just now that the mandolin i raved about to ed is YOU, scott. what an achingly perfect voice for this. i salute your brilliant sensitivity, sir.

martyn's fiddle has the right attitude in its melody - sad but hopeful...a painful ow-ee of the heart. good job of spotlighting him where you did, ed.

neil always lends a professional sheen to a song. his ear picks the right bass skeletal pattern to support the song, and i've never heard him be wrong. hey nah nah nah!

i didn't know that lead break was you, ed. swell job of finding the balance between too much and too little.

is that Queen Anne's Lace in the photo? nice touch!
thank you for the song dance, ed. i was proud to bgv you.
anne

We could be a group!
Like 'Simon & Garfunkel', only 'Cozean an' Hannifin' kinda goes 'an-an-an-an' a bit....

Thanks for reminding me of how I brutally ordered you about, at your insistence... I was forgetting that bit...

Reading your comment, I think one of the reasons you did such an amazing job on the vocals is that, I mean, read what you WROTE--you sort of get it about the song and about the tone we were shooting for and what everyone contributed to the whole thing... And really, you ended up doing vocals that aren't 'background vocals', but just part of what becomes this neat vocal blend...

Ahem. Yes, the lead break is me. I'm rather proud of myself. I've done a bit of decent guitar playing, I think, on a few of my recent songs. Better than I used to do, in any case.

And yes, I was looking through the ol' hard drive looking for something that would fit, and there was a picture of Queen Anne's Lace in my mom's garden that I took two summers ago... It seemed to suit...

Continued thanks and praise, Anne... I know you're busy, but I hope we get to do more of this... It has been a great pleasure...

Smart choices...
While the lyrics and intent of the song are very sad indeed,you have still made very wise choices in keeping the accompaniment simple. Your guitar work is solid and tasty as I've grown accustomed to hearing from you. (The mandolin gets a little busy, unnecessarily, I thought). I really like the fiddle, but could stand it to be definitely much more up front when it's soloing. I like the subdued female backup. It goes so well with your comfortable vocal. I really like your voice, Ed. It is just...pleasant. I'm hoping you'll get a good collection of these sensitive ballads together and rip that CD. I'll be first in line to buy it, MJ freebies notwithstanding. Nice work.
Peace.
Paul

It's a remarkable thing, Paul....
...that a guy like me, who can basically only DO 'simple', has such a hard time at times actually ACCOMPLISHING 'simple'.... I think I get insecure and tend to gild the lily... after which, I attempt to gild the shrubbery, and the lawn...

I will admit to being proud of the guitar lines... I think that's an area in which MacJams has really helped me do a bit of growing....

It's a funny thing about the fiddle and mandolin, and, to my ears, the lead guitar, too, in that different people listening to them have suggested that either one be brought up or down a dB or two, but there hasn't been much agreement. I have mixes with them in different proportions.... Finally it came down to me just liking the blend at about this level... Which is not to reject or argue with your feedback, but just to note that different people seem to be hearing those instruments sitting best in the mix at different levels...

I'm touched that you like my voice, Paul. That surprises me. I'm not exactly a trained or accomplished singer.

I'd love to get a CD out at some point... I'll have to convince Neil to master it.... Except every song I do I learn something new and then I want to remix or re-record the older songs.... I'll NEVER catch up to you and your four CD's....

Thanks for listening again, Paul.... I"m always pleased when you give a listen...

I'm stunned - but not surprised
this is so beautifully sung, played and produced that I am at a loss for words other than - great - wonderful - touching - exquisite - heartfelt and Buddy Holly (had he lived longer).
No surprise given the cast and source. Great collab.

#4!
Sounds great Ed. I think you've done a really fine job with all the parts here. Someone once said - might have been me - that the more collaborators you have on a song, the harder it gets to keep everyone happy. From the comments so far from the contributors, this seems to be an exception. Everyone has added their own little specialities to what, for me, is a pretty near perfect song. Your own performances here are really good Ed.

On a slightly different level, let me say that I'm so pleased to be helping you out on this series of tunes. It is especially good to have you back posting regularly (well almost) at MJ - you have always been a stalwart here (well, except for that period between June 08 and July 09), and it hasn't been the same without you.

Huge thanks, Neil....
I'll tell you straight out that you and your bass and drums and nudging and encouragement have been a big part of me getting anything at all done this year. And it is my fervent wish that in and around the other things you're doing, which are many, you'll keep hopping aboard these projects of mine.

I've got one more from this batch, a couple of other people's things to do, and then it'll be time to record some more songs again... Please sign on...

Also, I've decided that you've GOT to come see New England. (This would've been a good week to do it--lots of Fall colors, very vibrant, some days in the sixties, some days chilly with some snow, some days temperate---and it's raining right now, I think...) I've resolved that I really shouldn't leave this world never having met you...

I hope the bass level turned out decent for ya... I like the little growl on the end/edge of some of the notes that just pop up a little above the acoustic guitar bits at times...

Ed

Hey, that neurofeedback training I went to had a clip from Australian television in it... Meant to mention that....

Well, thanks again, Neil...
For all your help in getting this clutch of songs ready to be heard. One more to go from this bunch, and then a few more to begin...

The next round begins as soon as I can finish this last one, and then make a demo or two of the next...

As to your ears... They've been excellent all through, and I've always been convinced that your advice came from a wholehearted desire that each song end up the very best it could be... Naturally that's going to be MY attitude towards my own songs, but having someone else have that attitude towards them has been a great gift.

I hope there won't be huge gaps again, and we'll be doing this again pretty soon....

After Loving Anne
I would say this is just huge ...awesome with
how much every single person here gave such
passion and respect to the song ..indeed your
vocal here just gave me a chill ..Sista Anne
is just the cure to all sore here just delightful
as always ...the fiddle was a surprise just so
good to the song ..the mandolin with Scott ..
never knew you play Mando my friend ..pretty
good touches here and there ...the mixing and
production just first class and sure the very wonderful Gentleman of Oz Neil and his bass ...DEEPEST BOW !!!!

Thank you for listening, Feter....
I have certainly been very happy with everyone's contribution... I certainly felt like I was given passion and respect....

I'm pleased you liked the vocal. I always fuss over my vocal tracks and am seldom convinced that they come out right... Having Anne aboard as co-vocalist does much to allay my fears and insecurities... I love how she blends with my voice on this...

Maryn's fiddle definitely adds something on the good side of unexpected, I think... And I didn't know that Scott plays mandolin until Neil suggested that I ask him to play some... Neil has really fulfilled a number of the traditional roles of the producer on this...

It is indeed great
to hear another of your wonderful songs Ed. What I really like about your songs is that they are very immediate, but you can still hear that there is a lot of hard work that has been done. Still it almost sounds as a live performance. You make it sound so simple to play guitar. Even though i spend way to little time on this site, I am always excited when I get an email notification about a new song from you. The contributions from the other guys are very wonderful, without taking up to much space in the performance. Thank you for another great track!

Magnus...
From the day we 'met' on MacJams, I have continued to look forward to your thoughts, comments and music... It's good to hear from you again...

I'm glad you use that word 'immediate', because that's certainly something I'd aim for. When I first started writing songs I ended up with many that were wordy, complicated and sort of dense... trimming things back to simple and clear took my mind a bit of practice...

And then, when I started recording, my big temptation has continued to be to put too much stuff on or in the recordings... I have to trim a lot away....

So I take it as a great compliment when you indicate that this sounds almost live... I did try, too, to highlight the best bits of each person's contribution... I had an embarrassment of riches to work with...

I feel that same way when I see one of your songs pop up in the mailbox, you know...

Mmm
The composition is lovely. Natural and simple yet not faint. Rather with strong identity. A folk-song with the Ed-watermark.

I would love to hear it in a more energetic version. With more bite but not necessarily faster. Snappier but not harder. I think the composition has quality enough to put time and effort into (given that you like the idea of course).

Well... okay... I'm kidding... but I'm always happy when you're tempted back to MacJams, and we get to have conversations again...

I'm pleased that you like the composition itself.... As I emailed you, you can have the tracks for the faster version if you want to make an instrumental version... I just don't think I can sing the faster version... Anne probably can, though... Or I could send you this one, and you could try to add bite to it...

Lyrical psychotherapy
Heartfelt and essential listening for anyone coping with a separation - it's good to have been a part of your MJ 'supergroup'! Really like your guitar work and Anne's backing vox are subtle yet add real depth.

Thank you, Martyn...
...for your thoughts and for the lovely playing you did on this...

'Lyrical psychotherapy' is a great phrase, and I might have to steal it for my business cards....

This really has been something of a supergroup, hasn't it? At least, it has been a great combination of talents and outlooks... but not too overhyped and bloated, I think...

I'm pleased you liked the guitar work. I tried so hard to trim down my sloppy excesses on this one, and get some decent tone. I put more work and thought into it than I sometimes have. And as for Anne--well, I think she did this miraculous thing and sang so well that she makes ME sound better... That takes a bit of doing....

I'm glad you got a chance to listen, Dick...
...and equally glad that you liked it. I'm pleased that the restrained and understated bits sound good to you... I think that's what Anne means when she talks about not turning things into a dog and pony show...I agree that Martyn did a wonderful job here...

I think it's neat, Bob...
...that you focus on the emotional impact of the song rather than just the musical elements... It's gotta work musically, but I think it all has to work emotionally or nothing's really happening... I think one of the reasons that this works for me as a multi-collab is that each collaborator got the feeling behind the tune and the lyrics...

What a collab!
Love the flood of instruments. Strategically placed strings to compliment the placement of the vocals and the harmonies are fantastic. Lyrics that are drawn straight from the heart. Kudos to all involved.

You're right, though, John, about 'strategically placed'.... Much of the work of mixing this song ended up being finding space in the sonic field for each thing to be heard as itself... So things weren't fighting each other...

I'm still at that stage....
...where the notion of any song of mine being listened to in another part of the world is a thrill, so I'm quite pleased that you downloaded this, Alan... I'm pleased that you liked all the elements, and way it all comes together...

rich sweetness
What a marvelously crafted song... really well arranged, sung, played, and mixed. This has a warmth and smoothness that makes it all sound effortless... which of course, to the trained eye, hints at a LOT of work! Especially since you pulled such talented folks together from (literally) around the world to build this. Very lovely listen, thank you!
ttfn,
Drakonis

There's another great phrase,
..."rich sweetness".... That could almost be an album title.... Very cool that it sounds effortless, 'cause there were some moments in there when it was effortful and hair-pullingly frustrating... Mostly in my head, of course... me getting out of the way of myself...

I continue to get such a thrill out of these multinational collabs... Just that we can know each other a little, and even THINK to do something musically, for starters, and after THAT, that we can trade music and files over thousands of miles and get it done...

And as noted above, this has been the one where it has really started to bother me that there are a few of my MacJams friends that I actually want to meet and might not get to in this lifetime... I blew it last year and didn't meet Scott at Fran's gig in Marlborough...

Music and lyrics brilliant!
This is a why I love your music. The words and music are inseparable; one is a part of the other, and in this case a simply beautiful song that is able to paint an emotion and is what I strive for yet rarely achieve in my music. Great job with the recording, a very pleasurable listen. Your co-horts generosity of soul is evident through their performances and does this great song justice. Your vocal is reminiscent of your earlier work(which I love) but sounds more intimate. Very nice, Ed.

It's always, good, Joe...
...when you have the sense that someone gets what you're trying for, and that's the case here. I do try to get music and lyrics that match, and the emotional piece is a big part of what I'm trying to deliver...

I tell you, these three are a great bunch of horts... as I noted above, I think everyone who contributed 'got' the song, and I think you can hear that...

I'm glad you can hear something good in the vocal. This is a hard song for me to sing, and on top of that I spent a fair amount of time experimenting with microphones and processing, trying to get something stronger but still natural. I'm not done with that, either--I just got a used mic that I think is going to flatter or suit my voice a bit--but I think I might be on the right track...

Anyway, I'm happy that you're hearing so much of what I've been trying for... Thanks for listening...

After Loving Anne
Very nice, very moving song, and well performed by all involved. Music and lyrics really seem to capture the melancholy and emptiness we have all felt after a breakup, and can't you hear this song in the background as you imagine walking around and it seems like everyone else is happily in love while you walk alone? Nice, nice work - thanks for sharing - Sig

THAT is a great description of it, Sigmund...
I think when many or most of us get hit with a big and sudden loss, it's really like we're walking around in another world for a while. Food tastes different, sounds are different, colors are different, what we like or what annoys us is different... and people around us are still in this world where happiness is happening...

Hey, Alannah...
You're sure right about those sisters, even when both of 'em end up being Anne.... She definitely got the blend together for this... It was Neil who suggested Scott on mandolin--I didn't know he played--and I think that was an inspired idea... I'm pleased you gave a listen and let me know what you thought...

This
sounds very much like a Wheatstone Bridge song.(One of my favorite bands and one of the best band names ever)It does amaze me that people from all over the world can send files around and end up with great music like this.I am impressed with everything but will mention that your guitar playing (both rhythm and lead)sounds great. You must have had an excellent teacher.You put a lot of feeling into this song and the other musicians amplified it.

You know, Mark,
...it DOES sound like a Wheatstone Bridge song, at that...

It is pretty neat to be able to put together music with contributions from all over the world, and as you suggest, it's not only cool that it can be done, but it's cool that it ends up sounding like a whole, not like pieces stitched together....

Since you mention it, I DID have an excellent guitar teacher. I can play an E minor scale like nobody's business. This song is in D major, but ya know... it kinda works....

Still gotta learn that riff from Crossroads, though...

And YOU have got to either get a Mac or get SOMETHING so we can do some file swapping... Or come over... Those are your choices....

I will take full credit for the stunning brilliance of asking Anne to sing on this. Unfortunately, Anne will have to take the blame for the stunning brilliance of the harmony parts and the singing thereof.

And yes, the rest of the crew is great on this... I think each person ends up being someone's favorite bit...

Wheatstone Bridge....[sigh]...
The band of my life. If I stop and think about it, I really miss those two, and I suppose this does pretty much fit squarely in the realm of what I would have written with that band in mind... Funny that it didn't hit me before you and Mark commented, but really, two guitars left and right and a mandolin, with two female harmony parts bracketing my voice... That's pretty much a distillation of one of the main Wheatstone Bridge sounds...

And as for words like 'melancholy' and 'wistful'... well, I can do melancholy and wistful with my eyes closed... In fact, I generally DO do melancholy and wistful with my eyes closed... I find it helps me get that wist happening....

A pleasure
to listen. Very beautiful piece which sounds very good Ed, I like what you have made here, really a fine job with perfect vocals, guitar playing and talented contributions, great post. Bravo...
Marc

Lush Harmonies
that tenderly hold the listener as the story unfolds. You certainly are a songwriter Ed, and what an inspired cast you have assembled. This is as good as I have heard in this genre. When I hear the fiddle I can't avoid thinking of several favourite artists from Nova Scotia who would have made a similar choice in how you've woven it into the fabric of your space.

Heartfelt doesn't fully say it, but this one gets me. All of the praise here is certainly well deserved folks.

I really love the blend...
...and what I think of as the warmth and thickness of Anne's harmonies.... Listening on my headphones, once she comes in, it all seems to get more body...

It's also true that Martyn did us proud with a very lyrical and melodic turn on the fiddle... It's got a touch of that Celtic/Breton thing, I think... And you're right about the cast and crew on this one.... Not a wasted contribution, nothing "phoned in"--I really felt that Neil, Anne, Scott and Martyn all gave this the attention they'd have given one of their own...

I'm glad to hear that you like the songwriting, and that this one's got some heart... That would be the aim...

Genuineness and restraint...
That's also a great phrase, Michael. Could make a great CD title, too, or a motto for any record company I'd ever have.

It is pretty astonishing how much connection can happen in a MacJams collab, among people who've never met and some of whose online conversational sentences number in the dozens... Something happens and suddenly there's music... Although I use the term 'suddently' advisedly, since I think we began these last March or something...

tender song
I really enjoyed this alot. Every bit of it speaks to the heart. Wonderful collab by everyone involved. Great vocals, lyrics, harmonies, mandolin, guitars, violin...After lovin Anne, you write some killer love songs......

a delight
at first I was worried you broke up with Anne C :-) and she graciously did harmony for your song. Seriously Ed, a sweet heartfelt track. Seeing a collab like this that harnesses all this wonderful community talent and then deftly rolls it into something like this...well it makes me smile. KK's fiddle is to die for.

everything sounded crisp and clear and i loved the added touches of fiddle and mandolin. good harmonies, too. good stuff.

On a side note for me, (not being a lyricist). I like the way the lyrics flowed very much. They are very unique, and I keep thinking that this song would sound good in an Alt-Pop context as well. While i was listening I kept thinking of bands like Wilco singing this, then I thought the flow of the lyrics reminded me of those nortwestern alt bands like Death Cab for Cutie or even the Dany Warhols, maybe even Tegan and Sara. Makes me wonder what this would sound like if Michael2 took these lyrics and made it his own. Loved this tune.

I'm very tickled and flattered....
...by your comment, Brian... And I'd love to hear someone set this in a sort of alt/pop vein sometime...

In my aging brain, I hear a lot of alt/pop tradition starting with Gene Clark's tunes with the Byrds, and that's certainly something I relate to... And I'd love to hear what Michael2 would do with it...

Thanks for a thoughtful listen and a thoughtful comment. Much appreciated.

Thank you, Steve...
This really was one of my personal MacJams "dream teams".... I'm delighted with what everyone contributed, and I only hope that I mixed everything together well enough... Glad you like the song....

Ed
This is beautiful. Anne adds her professional and perfectly matched harmony. I think Martyn's violin is just so sad and really tugs at the heart. Scott's mando too, fits the bittersweet tone. The simple sound can hide the real deep beauty of this production, which is really superb. Great job to everyone.

Thank you, Stephen....
I'm pleased that what you're hearing matches what I'm hearing, and what I was intending.... I think that Anne, Martyn and Scott got the vibe right on this, so that bittersweet quality comes through...

After Loving Anne
Wow, what a great tune! I need to get out more.... I see there is more Ed things here.... great collaboration All. This is the finest example of the process I have seen here. Thanks a million. I am in awe..